Symposium « Intercultural City and Multicultural Symbiosis »

The Intercultural City does not view diversity as a threat, nor simply “cope” with it, but utilizes it as a source of dynamism, innovation, creativity and growth. Based on this latest idea, the Council of Europe has started the “Intercultural cities” programme with 12 cities in Europe to exchange expertise and experience among each other.

In Japan, in order to facilitate peaceful co-existence between indigenous and foreign inhabitants in a community, various policies are being carried out with the idea of “multicultural symbiosis” (Tabunka-kyosei). Some of these policies present strong parallel cases with those in the intercultural cities, where diversity is regarded as strength and participation in community activities are encouraged all across the ethnic landscape.

However, these initiatives towards integration at regional and community levels in Europe and Japan have not been fully introduced to each other, let alone studied comparatively.

The Japan Foundation and the Council of Europe invite to Japan a group which is consisted of the representatives of Melitopol / Ukraine, Neuchâtel / Switzerland, Patras / Greece, Tilburg / the Netherlands among the member cities of “Intercultural cities” programme, Mr. Phil Wood, a co-coiner of the term “Intercultural city”, and other experts. They will make a study visit to Kani city and Minokami city of Gifu pref. and Kobe city of Hyogo pref. to see demonstration of typical “multicultural symbiosis” in Japan, and then participate in an open symposium in Tokyo.

In the symposium, reports of the study visit by the European participants will be followed by presentation on the current state of integration policy in Europe before discussing comparatively the merits of “Intercultural city” and “multicultural symbiosis”.

Representatives of the troupe of study visit in Japan from the member cities of the intercultural cities programme
Phil Wood, Experts, Advocate of intercultural city
Local official, experts from Japan, and the others.